An early version of the band formed in 1981 under the name From Eden; members included Clint Mansell, Adam Mole, Chris Fradgley, Malcolm Treece and Miles Hunt . Graham Crabb was recruited (Graham being the only respondant to replace the 'piss poor' Miles Hunt on drums). After From Eden splintered into two bands (Treece and Hunt went on to form The Wonder Stuff) Mansell, Crabb & Mole formed Wild and Wandering, recruiting Richard March on bass. They eventually became Pop Will Eat Itself in 1986, taking the name from a quote in an NME article about Pop 'eating itself' suggesting that popular music continues to recycle ideas.
The band honed their songwriting skills with a string of catchy two-minute pop songs released on EPs both as Wild and Wandering and Pop Will Eat Itself. With the help of DJ John Peel, these EPs saw some airplay and enjoyed some popularity among university students. After the band feared they had accomplished all they could with their sound, they found new influences in hip hop acts such as the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Public Enemy. Graham soon dropped the drum sticks for a mic and was replaced by a drum machine called "Dr. Nightmare." Their style continued to develop with classics such as "There Is No Love Between Us Anymore' and the anthemic "Def Con One". As a result, PWEI were signed to major label RCA and they achieved top 40 hits with "Can U Dig It?" and "Wise Up! Sucker" off the album This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!
RCA's larger studio budget allowed the band to develop its potential further, and they released 3 successful albums on that label. The first two (…This is This! and Cure for Sanity) were recorded with the aid of legendary producer Flood, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, U2 and many other popular 90s groups. Cure for Sanity was perhaps PWEI's most experimental album, with a more electronic sound than previous efforts. RCA, meanwhile, was more interested chart success and so wanted the band to cut the lengthy instrumentals from their songs.
On 1992's The Looks or The Lifestyle, the band recruited a live drummer to complement their standard array of loops and pre-programmed drums and brought back some live guitars. The record was their most commercial and polished work to date, and was arguably the Poppies' high point, featuring top 20 hits like 'Karmadrome' and 'Bulletproof.' The single 'Get the Girl! Kill the Baddies!' registered as the band's biggest hit in January 1993. By this point, RCA had already grown tired of PWEI's stuborness and dropped them before the single was even released (the song went on to peak at 9 in the UK singles chart). Because of this, the band became the first ever to perform on Top of the Pops without being on a record label. The British National Party had recently caused an uproar in Tower Hamlets by winning a council seat, and it looked possible that the UK would see a revival in far right politics. In response to this, The Looks or the Lifestyle introduced a hitherto understated political angle, as the album inlay used the "red arrow" emblem of the Anti Nazi League and offered the organisation's address.
Getting dropped from RCA turned out to be a blessing for the Poppies, as the label agreed to write off the massive debts that the band had accumulated in studio fees in return for PWEI's back catalogue. After a minor bidding war, the Poppies decided to sign to Infectious Records, a label recently started by friend Korda Marshell (who had signed them to RCA in the first place but had since left the label) that offered them the artistic freedom they required.
PWEI maintained their stubbornly "cartoon like" image, despite producing thoughtful and often surprisingly dark tracks (for instance "Wake Up! Time To Die!", "88 Seconds", and "Mother").
PWEI's political stance became more explicit with the release of the single "Ich Bin Ein Auslander." A collaboration with Asian group Fun-Da-Mental, the song was scathing attack on the far right and the apathy that seemed to greet its resurgence. A different version of this song later appeared as the opening track on the 1994 album, Dos Dedos Mis Amigos.
By this time the band had toned down its garish public persona and veered off in a new and more industrial-based direction with the aid of long time fan Trent Reznor. Many fans were upset that the 'Is everybody happy?!' pogoing Poppies were gone and put off by the new direction, but the band found new popularity after signing with Reznor's Nothing Records in the US and touring with Nine Inch Nails, as well as having their songs used on the Playstation game 'Loaded'.
The following year the band released the Dos Dedos remix album Two Fingers My Friends which featured remixes by The Orb, Apollo 440, Renegade Soundwave and many more. It was about this time that Graham Crabb left the band and they recruited 'The Buzzard' of Yeah! God (who had recorded 'wild guitar' on previous albums but was never a full time member) and Clint took over full vocal duties. The band continued down the industrial route and were still recording and touring until 1996, even recording a collaboration with Orbital. Unfortunately, the band took a break before finishing production of their next album with Trent Reznor, and while not officially splitting, failed to complete the work citing boredom and musical differences. One track from this period was released, a cover of Gary Numan's "Friends," and provides some indication of the band's direction at the time.
A reunion of sorts happened in 2005 when the members performed eight gigs in the UK. Demos were also recorded during this time. However, Clint Mansell and Richard March were unable to continue with the reformation, and the remaining members have decided to pursue what the reformed PWEI started under the name Vileevils.
On February 23, 2010, a press release was issued to those on the dPulse Recordings mailing list, stating that Crabb would be discontinuing work on the Vileevils project, to concentrate on reviving Pop Will Eat Itself with a new PWEI album, new band and tour dates to be announced. On 11 May 2010, PWEI released the "Axe of Men 2010" single on a CD/DVD combination, featuring "Axe of Men 2010", a remastered "Sonic Noise Byte", and a DVD with Vileevils material.
In July 2011, a new line-up was announced, featuring Graham Crabb as the only original member, and Mary Byker undertaking co-vocalist duties. On October 3rd 2011 the album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist, was released on Cooking Vinyl, followed by a UK tour.
TBC
Wise Up Sucker
Pop Will Eat Itself Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're gonna come apart, split in half,
You're telling me don't want no more
'Cos my head's up my ass,
I watch my world through a glass,
I'm just a crazy tired shape from your past
You say it's love that you need,But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not,"
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Wise up sucker to what you've got
I'm freakin' and you couldn't care less,
I got the deep down crazies;
Trying to get my head round this mess.
At the sound of the bell
An act you know so well,
You give me sixteen different flavours of hell
You say it's love that you need,
But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not,"
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me notWise up sucker to what you've got
Wise up! sucker, see the sights
Taking your ass for a ride, Wise up! Wise up!
You say it's love that you need,
But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not,"
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Wise up sucker to what you've got
The lyrics of Wise Up Sucker by Pop Will Eat Itself convey a sense of desperation, disillusionment, and confusion in a relationship. The singer (presumably the singer) is feeling shaken, split in half, and deep down crazies. He's watching his world through a glass and realizes that his head is up his ass. The person he's with (presumably a lover or ex-lover) claims to need and want love, but what they have is war. They want to have but not have not. The singer asks them to wise up and face his lot because she loves him not, as shown by the repeated line "She loves me not."
The song is a critique of the self-centeredness and materialism that can come with relationships. The phrase "wise up sucker" is a call to action to the person to realize what they have and appreciate it. The singer warns that if they don't wise up, they'll miss out on something good.
The lyrics also feature some clever wordplay and rhyming. The repeated line "She loves me, she loves me not" is a reference to the children's game where one pulls petals from a flower and alternates saying the two phrases until all the petals are gone. The line "You give me sixteen different flavors of hell" plays with the idea of having too many choices and not knowing which to pick, leading to frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
If we stand here shaking much more
If we continue to be scared and uncertain
We're gonna come apart, split in half,
We will fall apart and lose our composure
You're telling me don't want no more
You're saying that you don't want me anymore
'Cos my head's up my ass,
Because I don't understand what's going on
I watch my world through a glass,
I observe my surroundings as if I'm separated from them
I'm just a crazy tired shape from your past
I'm a distorted and exhausted version of who I used to be for you
You say it's love that you need,
You claim that you need love
But it's war that you've got
But all that you're experiencing is battles and struggles
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not,"
You want to live in abundance instead of scarcity
Better wise up and face my lot;
It's important that you become aware of and accept the situation I'm in
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Maybe she loves me, maybe she doesn't. Uncertainty abounds.
Wise up sucker to what you've got
Become aware of and appreciate what you have
I'm freakin' and you couldn't care less,
I'm panicking and you don't seem to be concerned
I got the deep down crazies;
I'm struggling with intense emotions and inner turmoil
Trying to get my head round this mess.
I'm attempting to process the chaos
At the sound of the bell
An act you know so well,
When the situation arises you consistently perform the same unhelpful behavior
You give me sixteen different flavours of hell
You subject me to various forms of torment
Wise up! sucker, see the sights
Become aware and knowledgeable of what's happening around you
Taking your ass for a ride, Wise up! Wise up!
You are being fooled or tricked, wake up and become aware!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLINTON DARRYL MANSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anonymousanonymous5327
If we stand here shaking much more
We're gonna come apart, split in half,
You're telling me don't want no more
'Cos my head's up my ass,
I watch my world through a glass,
I'm just a crazy tired shape from your past
You say it's love that you need,
But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not, "
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Wise up sucker to what you've got
I'm freakin' and you couldn't care less,
I got the deep down crazies;
Trying to get my head round this mess.
At the sound of the bell
An act you know so well,
You give me sixteen different flavours of hell
You say it's love that you need,
But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not, "
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Wise up sucker to what you've got
Wise up! sucker, see the sights
Taking your ass for a ride, Wise up! Wise up!
You say it's love that you need,
But it's war that you've got
That you want to live your life and "to have"
Not "to have not, "
Better wise up and face my lot;
She loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
She loves me, she loves me not
Wise up sucker to what you've got
@lancefoley4687
if I can hear this song 28 years after it was released and still think it's awesome I guess it must truly be
@robertmetzger1753
You Rootin Tootin !! LOL Class of 81/82 !!!
@jeannesmith908
100% agree!! How did I miss this?? At least I know now, thank goodness!
@rondohunter8966
Wise One, you speak truth.
@seansverige
My favourite band at their time, criminally overlooked & consequently more obscure now than they deserve.
If you like this you need to check out the rest of the album (esp. Wake Up! Time to Die - one the best songs about alcohol abuse ever), would also single out Dos Dedos Mis Amigos - but it's all good
PS the guy singing (Clint Mansell) is now an award winning composer in Hollywood...
@renehaagsma6107
1989!!!
@MiniLemmy
Not many bands that could simultaneously appeal to indie rockers and dance hipsters back in the day! Love their uniqueness
@ConfusionInc
If you would have told me Clint would go on to be one of the most celebrated modern film composers of my life time, back during this era, I would have laughed at you. Love ya Clinty!
@tex6815
He does a lot of stuff with Biffy Clryo as well.
@yan4524
Remember standing in the Talbot bar in Stourbridge with him and a mate, the night before he flew over to New York. Doesn't seem to have done to bad, since then. Lol